Box Score

SILVER CITY, N.M. – Richard Rodriguez connected on a 52-yard field goal with 18 seconds remaining to lift Fort Lewis College (1-1 overall, 1-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) to a 30-27 win over Western New Mexico University (1-2, 0-1) today at Altamirano Stadium.

Sophomore quarterback Tim Jenkins completed 35 of 49 passes for 425 yards and three touchdowns, but no completion was bigger than the one he threw when FLC started its final drive. On the first play from scrimmage after Western New Mexico had tied the game at 27-27 on a 34-yard Kameron Drawhorn field goal, Jenkins connected with All-American Justin Johnson for a 54-yard strike to put FLC on the WNMU 21. After a sack moved the ball to the WNMU 34, Rodriguez connected on his 52-yard kick.

“It was exciting, but unnecessary excitement in the second half,” said first-year head coach Cesar Rivas-Sandoval, who recorded his first victory as a head coach. “I'm proud of our guys. They proved that we will fight and never quit.”

The Skyhawks led 24-9 at the half, thanks to three Jenkins touchdown passes and a pair of interceptions from redshirt freshman linebacker Willy Klein.

“Willy saved us in the first half,” said Rivas-Sandoval. “He had some clutch plays for us.”

One of Klein's interceptions thwarted a Mustang scoring chance at the three-yard line. The other came late in the second half and, after a 21-yard return, led to a Jenkins-to-Johnson touchdown to extend the lead to 24-9.

The Mustangs didn't give up easily, though, scoring two touchdowns and a two-point conversion to knot the score at 24-24 with 11:24 remaining in the game.

After the two teams traded punts, Fort Lewis went on a 10-play drive that ended with a 20-yard Rodriguez field goal to give them a 27-24 lead with 4:22 remaining in the game.

Western New Mexico answered with a long drive of its own, capped off with Drawhorn's 38-yard field goal with 43 seconds remaining in regulation to even the score at 27-27.

A 19-yard Deric Davis kickoff return gave the Skyhawks the ball with just 36 seconds left. Heroics by Jenkins, Johnson and Rodriguez sealed the victory.

“We bent, but we didn't break,” Rivas-Sandoval said of the tough, RMAC road victory.

Fort Lewis outgained Western New Mexico 424 yards to 303 and won the turnover battle 4-2. Several Skyhawks turned in big outings, including Johnson, who caught nine passes for 194 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Doyle Bode snared seven catches for 103 yards and a score. In addition to his two interceptions, Klein led the Skyhawks with 11 tackles.

Fort Lewis hosts CSU-Pueblo (2-0 overall) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25 at Ray Dennison Memorial Field in Durango.